July 2012 Technological University of Dublin Alliance Submission to the Higher Education Authority in response to ‘Towards a Future Higher Education Landscape’ “The magnitude of the issues confronting the world requires whole people with their whole minds and hearts to lead us into tomorrow. And that, in turn, requires us to renew the human purpose and meaning 1 at the heart of higher education.” 1The Heart of Higher Education, A Call for Renewal Nepo, Palmer, Scribner & Zajonc, Jossey Bass 2010 Contents 1 Overview 1 2 TU Dublin Partners 3 3 TU Dublin in the Dublin and Irish Higher Education Landscape 4 3.1 Regional Context 4 3.2 Distinctive Characteristics 5 3.3 TU Dublin Collaboration 6 3.4 Regional Engagement and Regional Clusters 7 4 Teaching & Learning and Student Profile 8 4.1 Student Profile 8 4.2 Teaching & Learning 11 5 Research and Innovation 13 5.1 Research Activity 13 5.2 Knowledge Exchange 15 6 Engagement 16 7 International Orientation 17 8 Leadership, Management And Governance 19 9 Conclusion 20 Appendices 1 Current Student Profile 2 Future Student Profile – Indicative Forecast 3 Our Approach to Change 4 Acronyms & Abbreviations Figures 1 Higher Education Participation Rates by Postal District 2 Indicative Positioning – Range of Activities in TU Dublin 3 Positioning of TU Dublin in the higher education landscape 4 TU Dublin – A Diverse Student Community 5 Student Numbers Forecast Breakdown by Discipline 2017 6 Elements of TU Dublin’s Teaching & Learning Approaches 7 Multi-campus Delivery of Programmes and Services 8 Preparation Process - HEA Submission 9 Stakeholder Engagement – TU Dublin 10 TU Dublin – Outline Work Plan (Phase 1) Tables 1 Projected Student Profile by NFQ Level 2017 2 Research Outputs 2011 and 2017 3 Typology of International Activities 1 1 OVERVIEW • Innovative, creative, entrepreneurial; • Highly skilled, practical, and capable in an As Ireland’s only internationally competitive employment context; city region, Dublin’s continued development is critical to the performance of the country • Technically and relationally competent to as a whole. Higher education, recognised deal with uncertainty with confidence; as being pivotal in reacquiring economic • Adaptive in complex and dynamic success and addressing societal issues, is knowledge environments; a critical element in Dublin’s and Ireland’s • An independent thinker, disruptive in development. To be globally competitive, a a constructive way; new type of university graduate, with societal • Values-driven, active and ethical; and professional parity of esteem with • A digitally literate global communicator; traditional university graduates, is required. This graduate has core skills in their chosen • Able to engage continuously with area of study, and is also innovative, creative learning. and entrepreneurial. She or he demonstrates The distinctive feature of the TU Dublin the technical and relational capabilities mission is to make a real difference. sought by employers and is an independent As a provider of third and fourth level thinker, constructive yet disruptive. This technological education, the university is graduate can make a real impact on the committed to and will work closely with economic and social challenges facing Dublin, enterprise, community and other partners. Ireland and the world. The University will be interdependent with The Technological University of Dublin (TU rather than separate and aloof from its Dublin) will be brought into being by the stakeholders. It will: convergence of Dublin Institute of Technology • work with partners in designing and (DIT), Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) delivering both programmes and each and Institute of Technology Blanchardstown student’s wider educational experience; (ITB) who already share this vision for higher • include the provision of programmes education and have an agreed strategy in enterprise/community settings with for its implementation. Together the three widespread student and staff work partners will use their collective experiences, placements; capabilities and resources to deliver higher education in a more efficient and equitable • foster the co-production of new manner. The new TU Dublin will be a unitary knowledge through the co-location of institution formed by the three partners university researchers with researchers in seizing this unique opportunity to make real enterprise and the community to enhance change. It will be a three campus autonomous research relevance; degree awarding university with critical • be a leader in the commercialisation mass, a strong online presence, and deeply of research and venture creation for embedded in all aspects of Dublin life. economic and social benefit to the region. The mission of TU Dublin will be: The seamless integration of teaching and To make a real difference to Dublin and learning, research and innovation, and Ireland by providing practice-led, research- engagement activities underpins TU Dublin’s informed higher education of the highest approach to education provision. Our quality for a new style of university graduate teaching will be innovative, practice-led and who is: research-informed, with shared responsibility 2 for learning as a key principle and curricula in the world. Its graduates will be Ireland’s designed to offer students opportunities and new employers, innovators and skilled choice. TU Dublin’s use-inspired research will professionals. At the heart of its success will support Ireland’s innovation agenda through be TU Dublin’s capacity to engage others alignment with national research priorities and and bring about a real change in how higher will help address the needs of activity clusters education serves people and in how it in the Dublin region such as ICT, engineering, addresses the major economic and social health services, pharmaceuticals, the creative challenges facing our world. arts, culture, tourism, services and public policy. TU Dublin will provide flexible education 2 TU DUBLIN PARTNERS pathways for all, including those constrained TU Dublin will be a new and vibrant by personal or professional circumstances, or higher education institution located in economic or social disadvantage. Through Dublin with a national and international its multi-campus locations, the University profile. It will be formed from DIT, ITB will provide multiple mode and flexible and ITT. Over the last 3 years a strong programme delivery with a choice of entry partnership has evolved and has focused and exit points and a range of progression and transfer routes. on the creation of a ‘new university for a new Ireland’ that will provide a TU Dublin will have an international role cohesive and differentiated technological and a global perspective and will help education offering in the Dublin region. make Dublin a preferred destination for Combining the complementary strengths international students. It will foster a of the partner institutions opens up a real culture of internationalisation, deliver an possibility to create a different kind of internationalised curriculum, and build on educational entity for a new style existing links with universities globally, fostering student and staff exchanges and of graduate. collaborative research. DIT2 has been an integral part of the Irish The governance of TU Dublin will be higher education system for over 125 characterised by autonomy balanced by years. With autonomous degree-awarding transparency and accountability in the authority up to PhD level, DIT combines stewardship of public funds. Student the excellence of a traditional university representation will be a major part of the with professional career-oriented learning governance structure. New structures, roles and prepares graduates for productive and processes underpinned by a new HR leadership roles in both the public and the system will be put in place. Consolidation private sectors. Supporting up to 20,000 of the three partners will enable enhanced students, DIT will be relocating to a single efficiencies through a shared model of service campus located in north inner city Dublin. delivery and rationalisation of programme Strong industry engagement is reflected provision. in its successful technology transfer, TU Dublin’s distinctive, rich contribution to enterprise creation and strong research higher education, enterprise and quality of base. DIT has helped to create more than life will help build the reputation of Dublin 150 new enterprises which have raised as amongst the most exciting, creative cities almost €100 million in equity investment 2www.dit.ie 3 and created 1,000 smart economy jobs in the region. ITB3 has been pursuing its mission of making education accessible to a diversity of learners since it was established in 1999. The distinctive vibrancy of ITB’s staff in pursuing this mission is one of its core strengths. 3,000 students attend ITB, of which 47% are classified as non-standard CAO, including 25% mature learners. From its campus, ITB offers a range of practice-based, career focused courses in informatics, engineering, business, humanities and trades. ITT4 is located in South Dublin County and was established 20 years ago. It has a student population of over 4,000 students of which 32% are part-time students. The percentage of part-time students is one of the highest in the country. It adapts programme design and delivery to meet the requirements of organisations and a number of its programmes are delivered off-campus in companies. In its relatively brief history it has grown